Everything Will Change
by scribbleoutthetruth
Summary: Brooke Davis is going in to her senior year of high school with her life-long best friend, Nathan Scott. Life for the two popular teens was always simple. Enter Lucas Scott. Enter a complicated love triangle. Brathan/Brucas. Enjoy!
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

_

* * *

_

It was like all time had frozen; like in all those cheesy movies when it seemed to be just the two of them in the room. Everything around them was still. The sounds of their graduating classmates was a muted noise in the back of her mind. All she could was stare. Stare into those eyes that had always comforted her, and had always seen right through any mask or lie the brunette had ever tried to come up with. But those eyes were now a mix of hope and anxiety, and she knew they couldn't read her now. Their entire dynamic was changing.

And all the stupid girl could do was _stare_!

She was frustrated with herself. This was ridiculous. The uncomfortable feeling was rising in the room, all because of her. What was that feeling? Embarrassment? Awkwardness? A combination. No, that wasn't important now. What was important now, was that she spoke. She could do this. She could just open her mouth and say... ANYTHING! _Damn it Brooke Davis, say something, _she thought to herself desperately. But her mind was whirling out of control with thoughts. How long? How could she have not seen it? Had she seen it? Didn't she feel it?

Her concentration was broken by a throat being cleared and she blinked into his face. She watched him wipe a hand over his face and then rub the back of his neck awkwardly. "I just thought you should know," he mumbled, clearly just trying to prompt her into saying something.

But she didn't say anything.

Instead, she shook her head slowly in her stunned state, and stepped backwards towards the door.


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Woooo, the beginning of my FIRST real fanfic! Keep in mind, this is an AU (as in, alternate universe) story; if the characters seem different, then I made them more into who I wanted them to be than EXACTLY who they are in the show. I'm not a great writer, so DROP ME A REVIEW! I would love the feedback :D

PS, this chapter is slightly longer than ones I may end up doing, since I worked on it for like an entire day :P Also, I edited it only once at 2:30 am soooo, that won't be the best, hehe!

* * *

Chapter 1

Her hazel eyes opened slowly, then immediately shut again in response to the sunlight blazing through her window. Groaning, Brooke Davis rolled over in her bed and slammed her hand down on her alarm clock, effectively shutting it off. She sat up slowly and stretched her arms over her head. Today was both a sad and joyful day; sad, because the summer was over, and joyful because it was the beginning of her senior year at Tree Hill high. Becoming a senior would come with many thrilling opportunities for a girl as popular as Brooke Davis, the first of which was becoming the head of the cheerleaders. With that in mind, the brunette bounced out of her bed and headed into her own attached bathroom to prepare for the day.

The girl behind the red door had always been in the popular crowd. Ever since she had been in kindergarten, others had both envied and looked up to her. However, being in the spotlight came with many downfalls, one of which being she had to look good every day. This meant getting up at least an hour or two early every day for school to get ready. As she sat in front of her vanity, brushing out her blow-dried shiny brown locks, she wondered what this year would bring. If it were anything like the year before, there would be drama and lots of it, especially for herself and her best friend Nathan Scott.

It had been inevitable that Nathan Scott and Brooke Davis would run in the same group of friends, seeing as they had always lived very similar lifestyles. Inattentive parents who had been in high school together, the big house in the same rich neighbourhood and the fact that they were both a pair of free-reigning children from the start had led to an unavoidable close bond that Brooke and Nathan had for as long as either of them could remember. He was the person that could see through her masks and walls, and she was the only one that called him on being an asshole, and got away with it. A match made in heaven, the two always had been there for each other.

Even last year when Lucas Scott, Nathan's innocent half-brother, had joined the basketball team, Brooke had stuck by her best friend's side despite the obvious temptation. It was impossible not to note that the blonde boy was gorgeous, and despite Brooke's desire to make him another one of her conquests, she had known better. However, her former other best friend and Nathan's former girlfriend Peyton Sawyer had not. The curly-haired harlot had dumped Nathan for Lucas and effectively lost the two people that had always been there for her. While Brooke may have never agreed with Nathan's hate for Lucas because it was only because of thoughts Dan had planted in his son's head, she had chosen his side. This year, instead of there being the threesome running the school, it would solely be Nathan and Brooke.

Running over all of the dramatic events of the previous year had been sufficient time for Brooke to get ready for the day. As she moved down the stairs in a short jean skirt and red shirt (her signature color), she wasn't surprised that the house was silent. Her mother was probably still asleep, sleeping off another hangover, and her father was out of time on "business", whatever that really meant. With a heavy sigh, Brooke dropped her backpack by the front door and moved into the large kitchen. Here, she was surprised by the smell of pancakes and the sight of a tall raven-haired boy standing by the stove. When Nathan Scott turned away, Brooke crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"My my, Natey boy what is all this?" She asked, genuinely surprised. It had been a bit of a tradition that she had to go to his house to wake him up for the first day of school, since he and the rest of the team would have been up the night before, drinking away the end of summer.

"Well I figured we could start this year different, better. Maybe that way it'll end better." Nathan joked and looked at her leaning in the doorway of the kitchen. He flashed Brooke his famous devilish grin, which she saw as a dead giveaway that there was more to this pancake breakfast than just a kind gesture. Still, she was hungry, and who was she to deny pancakes? She grabbed a plate off the counter, watched as Nathan scooped the pancakes on to her plates, and strutted over to the kitchen table by the large windows overlooking her large backyard. She started eating, not bothering to wait for her friend. Who needed manners when you'd known someone since they ate paste?

Eyeing him, Brooke swallowed the large amount of pancakes in her mouth. "Yeah, that'd be nice. But seriously Scott, what do you need?" She asked him again. She knew Nathan. As much as she loved her best friend, he wasn't the sweet guy.

"….alright, I need a ride to school. Dan found out that I skipped out on one of his mandatory basketball practices, so he took away my ride for the next week."

Giggling, Brooke shook her head. "Awww, you're going to swallow your pride and ride in my little girly blue bug?" She asked, referring to her baby blue Volkswagen convertible.

"Yeah yeah, gloat all you want Davis. It's a stupid chick car, but I'd rather get the ride then walk." He said as he sat down across from the table.

"Say please."

He groaned, banging his fork down on the table. "C'mon Brooke."

"Say preeetty please?" She pouted. The famous Davis pout always got Brooke exactly what she wanted. It was even stronger than Nathan Scott's pride, and that was saying a lot.

"…pretty please." He grumbled, stuffing pancakes into his mouth. Brooke bounced around in her seat, feeling giddy and triumphant.

"Why of course Nathan, I'd be happy to drive you. No need to beg." She teased him once more with a wink, ignoring his unhappy grunt, and continued eating breakfast with her best friend.

-- * --

The first day of school started off like any other day. It seemed that as soon as Brooke and Nathan had pulled into the parking lot, a swarm of girls had surrounded the car, waiting for their leader. Brooke stepped out with, as always, a smile, and listened to all of their questions and concerns about the cheerleader try-outs later that day. Nathan also stepped out with a cocky grin, and as soon as the other guys on the team had noticed him, they had headed over. The king and queen had arrived.

As Nathan headed off with his squad of jocks, he glanced back at Brooke. She was smiling, listening to Bevin as she rambled on about something useless, stupid and well… Bevin-like. He was surprised that no one else could see as clear as day that Brooke was already annoyed. Sure, she loved to be a cheerleader. But he knew that a part of her wished there was something more than this superficial bullshit in her life, although she'd never admit that out loud or possibly even to herself. That didn't matter though. Nathan knew Brooke completely, and he could almost read her mind.

Walking through the school's quad, Nathan broke away from his teammates to go find his locker. This would be the worst part of his day. As the locker's this year had been sorted by grade and last name, he already knew who two of his neighbours would be. Sawyer and Scott. As he walked towards the line of blue lockers, he could already see the blonde curls of the world's only emo cheerleader. What was more important was that he could see the back view of the sandy-haired Scott. It wasn't that Nathan was pissed off that he'd stolen his girlfriend; they'd really only been together for sex. It was more that this kid came out of nowhere and had tried to steal his whole life. He could feel his hand curling into a fist, when he felt a small familiar hand touch his arm gently.

"Easy there, silly stud." Brooke said calmly with her best cheery grin, and instantly Nathan felt more at ease. He smiled down at her gratefully, and she linked her arm in his as he walked to his locker. He ignored the polite conversation Brooke must have been painfully forcing herself to have with Lucas so that he wouldn't have to speak at all as he gathered his books. When he was done he turned and walked away. It wasn't until he had taken a few steps until he noticed that Brooke was still at the locker bay, talking to the brooding idiot. He cleared his throat, causing Brooke to jump. She looked at him, giving an innocent shrugged, and he stood where he was until she walked over to him.

"He's not some kind of evil mastermind Nathan…" He heard her mumble, and rolled his eyes. He knew that Brooke believed that somehow the two of them could share some kind of brotherly love, and he also knew that it would never happen. Dan had made sure of that a long time ago. Nathan had worked so hard, taken so much criticism from his ass of a father, to get where he was. Then Lucas, who had lived in a happy fucking bubble his whole life, just swooped in and took it so easily. Even Dan had started pointing out things that Lucas did better when his father was helping him with practice. That was enough to set off his short temper. He pulled away from the hand that Brooke had now placed on his arm and walked off to his first class.

--*--

Brooke glanced at her cell phone again as she sat in her French class and saw that Nathan still hadn't texted her. This was getting a bit ridiculous. It was the last period of the day. All of the classes had gone by in some kind of blur, but Nathan had yet to apology. He hadn't even come to find her for lunch. Of course, it was what they did. They'd have a little fight, then the wrong-doer would give a quick apology and it would be done. Was Nathan expecting an apology from her? Oh, no. That was SO not happening. She had done nothing wrong. She had seen her friend struggling from down the hallway, gone to help him, talked to Lucas, and then simply voiced her opinion ever so briefly. It was not her problem that seeing Lucas turned Nathan into some grumpy PMS-ing woman.

After having an entire class to get sufficiently angry with Nathan, she stormed out of the room when the final bell rang. Throwing open her locker, she threw her books in and grabbed her cheerleading bag and headed towards the gym. She was bombarded with question after question by all the hopeful girls that had congregated in the locker room, but Brooke simply gave them all a slightly evil grin, changed silently, then headed into the gym to sit at the desk that had been set up for her to pass her judgements. She watched all the other girls trickle out of the changing area and sit nervously on the bleachers. Truth be told, having all this control was slightly intoxicating. She had written on the sign-up sheet that no one was guaranteed their spot just because they were on the team the previous year, as that team had led to continuous losses at all of their competitions. No wonder Nathan loved being the captain so much.

As if on cue, the basketball team candidates strutted into the gym, causing swooning from the bleachers and an eye roll from Brooke. Half of them were shirtless and the other half was wearing the flimsy thin practice jerseys. Combined with the shorts and well, if Brooke hadn't known them all too well, she would have been swooning too. Nathan's confidence seemed to fill the entire gym. Of course he had nothing to worry about; he was the golden boy aiming to steal back his spot on the basketball team from the broody blonde, who was shyly entering the gym now with his dorky poncho-wearing best friend Haley. Brooke turned her attention away from that end of the large gym, trying not to think of the fact that she'd actually _enjoyed_ talking to Lucas earlier, picked up the list of names that had signed up during the day, noted the first name with a grin and blew hard into her whistle.

"Bevin, you're up!"

--*--

Lucas had been dreading this all day. He'd also been looking forward to it, which left the mixed feelings to simply churn nervously within his stomach. When he played basketball, it was like everything else was gone. No other problems could be on the basketball court. Reality simply faded away. There was nothing else that made him feel so at peace. However, there was also nothing else that seemed to make him so nervous, because as soon as the game was done well… he'd have to face Nathan. He wasn't sure what he'd ever done to make Nathan hate him, besides beat him at the Rivercourt, steal his spot on the team, steal his girlfriend … okay, admittedly he'd done a lot. But Nathan had hated him before it all started, when Lucas had done nothing.

So, since Lucas had been worried, he had naturally asked his best friend Haley James to be there for support. Besides Haley, Jake and Whitey, no one else in that gym would be rooting for him. As he walked into the gym with Haley by his side, he noted Brooke Davis and the rest of the cheerleaders at the farthest end.

"Well well, looks like the slut squad is having try-outs." Lucas turned to look down at the sound of Haley's sarcastic voice and he squeezed her shoulder.

"I know you hate all this, but thank you for coming." He said sincerely, while Haley just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah yeah, just go kick some ass. Especially Nathan's. God, that guy is such an ass to you. He and Brooke Davis… I'll never understand either of them." She said, before heading up to the top of the bleachers to watch. Lucas watched her go and grinned. He could feel Nathan Scott glaring at him, so he turned his attention back to the cheerleaders.

The less-than-average-intelligence blonde had evidently started her tryout, and Brooke had got up to instruct the girl on what to do. He watched her intently and with no shame. She seemed so confidant and strong. And the tight tank-top and little shorts didn't hurt either. He watched her moving, and thought back to earlier that day when the two had been talking. She'd been cheery, and asked him how his summer had been. She'd even seen genuinely interested in his summer away with his Uncle Keith and his mom. That is, until Nathan had pulled her away. Maybe there was more to her than he and Haley had initially thought. Just because she belonged to that world, didn't mean she was as shallow as the rest of them, right? Suddenly, he realized that she was staring right back at him. He felt his face heat up when she waved at him with a confused expression, and he ran over to where the group of jocks were assembling around Whitey. As he ran over, he glanced back to look at Brooke who had evidently gone back to her tryouts. Yes, there was definitely more to Brooke Davis than he originally thought. Because when he'd looked at her, she hadn't stared back with disgust or annoyance. She'd looked at him with something entirely different, that he knew he hadn't imagined.

Interest.

--*--

Brooke's head was swarming with thoughts as she left the gym at the end of try-outs and started to make her way to the parking lot. The first thing she thought of was, of course, the try-outs themselves. She had stated clearly that there could be a whole new squad firstly because she wanted a team, but secondly because she wanted to replace Peyton. Unfortunately, the stupid blonde had managed to be one of the best try-outs of them all, after Rachel Gattina of course. Since her falling out with the blonde, Brooke had become surprisingly close with the red-head, who hated Peyton just for her personality not because she had to. But even Rachel pointed out that the rest of the squad would disrespect her if she'd put someone on the team that wasn't as good as Peyton, and that was beyond frustrating.

The second thing on her mind was Lucas Scott. Throughout the entire basketball try-outs, it seemed as if the other Scott brother had continuously looked over at her. And not just because the cheer shorts were… well, _short_. No, Lucas Scott seemed to be looking at Brooke like he really SAW her. Like he wanted to know her, not just see her naked like the rest of the brainless jocks. Maybe it seemed ridiculous to think so much into a look, but no one had looked at her like that since Nathan, and even he didn't look at her in the exact same way.

But no. She should not, could not, WOULD NOT get involved with Lucas Scott.

Unless, Nathan approved it.

During the practice, the two had actually worked together it seemed, and Lucas hadn't gone out for Nathan's exact position on the team. In fact, Brooke hadn't noticed Nathan make a single snide comment towards Lucas the whole game, and he had even seemed happy when the boys had hit the showers.

Of course, as Brooke now reached her car and saw Nathan leaning against the passenger door, waiting, she remembered that she was still upset with him. Stubbornly lifting her chin slightly, she marched over to the driver's side and got in. However, she did unlock the door when he pathetically knocked on the window softly. As soon as he got in, she turned to face him with her eyes set in a glare.

"You're an asshole."

"I know."

"I didn't even DO anything."

"I know."

"I didn't deserve you just ditching without a word."

"I know. Brooke, I'm sorry. I was just pissed seeing him and Peyt, and being forced to have a locker near him." The raven-haired boy scoffed and slumped back in his seat.

Brooke fiddled with her hands lightly. "Still… you guys seemed a little more friendly on the court?"

Nathan shrugged "I guess. It's not the end of the world having him around, now that he's not after my life." He glanced at her. "When did you become so Team Lucas anyways?" Brooke shrugged at the question.

"It's just… everything that happened was almost six months ago Nate. And since Peyton's going to have to be on the cheerleading squad again, and Lucas is on the Ravens, I just… I don't know, maybe it's time to put it behind us?" She sighed and turned to him. "On a scale of one to ten, how mad would you be if I started to maybe, talk to him a little. You know just… feel him out, see what he's like." She said, biting her bottom lip innocently and giving him her very best puppy-dog eyes.

Nathan stared at her. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. After spending the day without Brooke and feeling… what he had felt, she was seriously asking about his stupid brooding brother? He was about to open his mouth to snap at Brooke when he realized that he had just moments ago said it wasn't so bad having Lucas around. And now, suddenly, he wanted to take the scrawny blonde boy and beat on him till he couldn't move. His stomach had churned in an unfamiliar way. It was unsettling. She had only said she wanted to talk to him really, but Nathan knew the familiar gleam in her eye when Brooke was about to start making one of her conquests. So, instead of opening up and telling Brooke all of this and making her feel uncomfortable, he sighed.

"Like I said, it's not the end of the world having him around." He smiled as he noticed her trying to hide the 'I win' look she always gets.

Besides, what did it matter? It's not like the two would ever be serious. That wasn't Brooke Davis.

Brooke Davis did not do relationships.

* * *

DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :D


	3. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I'm soooo sorry that 1.) this chapter took forever to be posted and 2.) that it's shorter and probably not edited as well as the last one. School and life got crazy and I intended to make this one longer but, I decided I kind of liked how this one was ending :) Leave me a review! I looove getting them in my inbox :)

P.S, now that school is almost out, I'll be posting more often :) Yay!

* * *

Chapter 2

She started things off slow with Lucas. First, she'd throw him winks in the halls at school whenever the two passed. Next was mumbling little suggestive sentences in his ear whenever she had the opportunity. And now, it all came down to her famous move. The Ravens had just won their first basketball game, and since the two Scott brothers had actually decided to work together, the team had won by a landslide. So, Brooke figured that the second biggest star of the basketball team deserved more of a welcoming, which was really a year overdue. But, seeing as Nathan had been a lot more focused on his 'I'm going to ruin Lucas's life' plan last year, it hadn't really been an option, unless your name was Peyton Sawyer. Brooke's face actually cringed when she thought of the blonde. Sure, Nathan and Peyton had really only been together for sex and appearances, but it still didn't excuse what Peyton had done. Brooke would always be fiercely loyal to Nathan, and anyone that harmed him in any way would have to suffer through the Davis cold shoulder. However, the cheating-on-her-best-friend issue was not the only reason for Brooke's general dislike of Peyton. The blonde had randomly turned from her best girl friend to a rude bitch out of nowhere the last few months before Peyton cheated, which Brooke had never been able to figure out.

_Enough thinking of Peyton; focus girl, _she thought as she worked on hiding in the back of the station wagon that she knew Lucas would have borrowed from his mom Karen since she hadn't been in the crowd. She had just laid down when she heard the steps of one blonde brooding boy approach and open the door. She felt the car shake slightly as Lucas slid into the driver's seat with a heavy sigh and slam the door. That was her queue.

"Hey broody." She said, as she popped out from behind him, wearing only her leopard-print bra and her short, revealing cheer skirt. Brooke giggled when she saw Lucas jump and turn, staring at her wide-eyed. His eyes first traveled down her, but he quickly flushed bright red and stared at her face as if by force. "Sorry if I scared you, I really needed a place to change out of this totally uncomfortable uniform." She apologized as she wiggled out of her skirt, and he turned to face the front with his mouth wide open, still not speaking. She frowned. By now, like any other basketball jock had in the past, he should have been talking her into letting him help or join or something. But he kept his eyes peeled to the steering wheel.

"That was a pretty impressive game." She said quietly, trying not to be embarrassed or show any vulnerability. Maybe he really didn't see her that way, maybe he always got red when she shamelessly flirted with him because… because she wasn't good enough for him. Brooke immediately frowned at her thought. She was Brooke Penelope Davis. She was good enough for anyone.

Of course, Brooke's thoughts were not true at all. While Brooke began to feel inferior for the first time in her life, Lucas could only think about basketball; the plays, the practices, anything to keep his mind off the naked brunette in the back of the car. He then heard her mention the game, and he nodded. "Yeah, um, Whitey had some really good play ideas." He said nervously, hearing her move around in the back seat. Lucas hadn't ever been tempted like this since last year when Peyton had finally started to pay attention to him after what felt like a lifelong crush.

Sighing, Brooke put on her change of clothes; a tight pink zip-up sweater and short jean skirt. She had underestimated just how _nice _Lucas was. It was almost as if chivalry wasn't dead. She then leaned over and let her chin rest on Lucas's shoulder. "How's the whole popularity thing working out for you Lucas? The crowds all cheering for you, people you hardly knew a year ago now come up and complement you… it isn't so bad, is it?" She mumbled in his ear, letting her fingers drag lazily down his chest until his hand caught hers and blocked the path it was headed down.

He could feel his control starting to slip away from him when her hand was on his chest. He wasn't even listening to what she was saying; just focusing on her touch that seemed to send sparks throughout his entire body. This was so much different than what it had been like with Peyton. She had been more forceful, controlling, and, in the end, manipulative just to get back at Nathan for something she had never shared. But the gentle touch on his chest was more comfortable, and he couldn't deny that he liked it. So he grabbed her hand before she went too far, and he turned to look behind him. "Can I give you a ride home?" he asked her with a genuine kind smile.

Brooke smiled back. "Sure broody, let's take this party back to my place." She said with a wink. She pulled herself forward and plopped herself down in the seat beside him.

Lucas sighed and shook his head as he started the car and drove out of the parking lot. The pair sat in silence and he glanced over her from time to time. She seemed… vulnerable, and it was beautiful. But she also looked confused.

And she was confused. Naked-back-seat-Brooke had never been rejected before. She knew now that she was in the front seat that he was attracted to her; his basketball shorts didn't hide that fact very well. But still, she was getting a ride home instead of getting her one night stand. And that's when it hit her and she smiled. He was being sweet, not humiliating her like her pride thought. Lucas Scott was a gentleman. She looked over at him. Brooke Davis had never had an actual boyfriend, but if she was ever going to try it out… Her thoughts were interrupted when Lucas cleared his throat. She looked up at him and smiled, reaching over to let her hand rest on his leg.

Lucas shifted his leg away and shook his head. "You know Brooke, you don't have to act like this."

She was taken aback, and simply spoke the truth. "I know that, but you're the first guy who's ever said it." She looked over at him and smiled. The rest of the ride was spent in a strangely comfortable silence, except when Brooke spoke to point him in the right direction of her house. When he pulled up to the house with the red door, Brooke turned to him and smiled. "Thank you Lucas."

He shrugged. "It was the least I could do. I couldn't have you walking ho-.." he stopped speaking mid-sentence when her finger reached out and covered his lips to silence him, shaking her head.

"No I mean, for before. You're a good guy Lucas Scott, like, respectful and stuff." She said honestly, before leaning over to give his cheek a gentle kiss. "I'll see you at school tomorrow, Broody." She said with a shy smile as she bounced out of his car and half-skipped up the driveway with the same smile pasted on her face and a fluttery feeling in the pit of her stomach. When she got to the door, she noticed him waiting and didn't hear his car pull away until she was safely inside. She leaned back against her front door and smiled. There was something different about this boy. He was different than any other guy she had been with before. While others had happily ripped off what was left of her clothes, Lucas respectfully looked away until she was clothed. While others would have kicked her out after and left her to walk home or, worse, call Nathan, Lucas had driven her home and even waited to see that she got inside. She sighed, feeling as if she was on cloud nine and headed up to her bedroom of the silent and, as always, empty house.

--*--

She was touching his arm. Throwing her head back. Laughing. Talking to him. Nathan stood there and watched Brooke flirting with Lucas at his locker. Shouldn't this have been over and done with by now? It never took Brooke more than a week to get impatient and move on from a guy like Lucas; a guy that was too shy and fucking pathetically innocent for Brooke. But it had been a month since school started, and she was still all over him. Nathan was used to his best friend hooking up with guys at parties. He had figured out a long time ago that it was one of her many defense mechanisms thanks to her fucked up parents' marriage. He had long ago lost track of the number of times he'd heard the brunette's speech about how love didn't exist and that everyone should just have fun instead of being involved in big overly-dramatic relationships.

It was for that reason that Nathan was so confused about why Brooke hadn't given up yet. It was troubling to not be able to read his best friend's mind and to not understand what she was doing. He could usually read her mind like an open book but now… Nathan shook his head in frustration. Now, it was like Brooke was slowly becoming a stranger. She was supposed to be on HIS side all of the time. So, that automatically meant she wasn't supposed to pursue Lucas to this extent. It was his fault really. He had been the one that said it was okay. But he'd only said that because he figured Lucas wasn't the type to just have a fling and it would have never happened. And now, the person he cared about the most and the one he cared about the least were dating!

And then he frowned. All he had seen was Brooke and Lucas talking and laughing. How he had gone so quickly gone from noticing innocent flirting to thinking they were practically married? He shook his head at himself and ran and hand slowly over his face to try and ease the frown off of it. Just as he did this, he felt a presence beside him. Nathan looked quickly in hopes of seeing Brooke's cheery smile, but instead was greeted by Peyton's sarcastic scowl.

"Jealous much Scott? I've been watching you from my locker practically beat Lucas with your eyes." She said, her grin getting even bigger, as if she was enjoying his torture. No, not his torture. It was NOT torture to see Brooke and Lucas together, right? What the fuck was going on with his head?

"No Peyton that would be you. How come you haven't gone over there to reclaim your brooding partner?" He said, his voice a little too full of bitterness, which must have been why Peyton started to chuckle and then roll her eyes.

"Please. Lucas was fun for a while, but you know the only reason I did that was to get back at you."

Nathan scowled. "What? For hooking up with other girls when you decided to get pissed off and break up with me?"

"No. For being completely in to someone else on days when I hadn't seen what a jerk you were and was pathetic enough to stay with you."

"What the hell are you talking about Peyt- "

"Brooke." Peyton said, causing Nathan to look at her with a shocked expression.

"Brooke? You thought I was in to Brooke?! She was your best friend Peyton, what the fuck kind of idea is that?"

"The kind of idea that's completely true." Peyton sneered and glanced over at Brooke, who was now alone at her locker and staring back at the pair of them. Nathan noted the concern filling her hazel eyes, but he looked away, too angry at her to give in to going over to her and explaining. Peyton continued speaking. "It's clear as glass watching you glare over at Lucas from here that you're jealous, like I said before. You've always put her before everyone else, and it's not because she's your best friend, 23."

Nathan chuckled a little and rolled his eyes. "Peyton, you've known Brooke and me as long as I can remember. You of all people shouldn't buy in to those rumours." He said, referring to the common rumour that he and Brooke were secretly dating that seemed to resurface from time to time. Peyton rolled her eyes at him, again.

"You can deny it for as long as you want Nathan. Really, it's amusing." She said, before glancing back at Brooke. With a grin, she leaned up and pressed her shoulder on Nathan's chin, a tricky thing to do to the over six-foot tall boy. "Think about it." She whispered, before turning and skulking down the hallway.

Nathan stood there trying to absorb what had just happened. Peyton had thought he was in to Brooke? But… but that was impossible. Brooke was his best friend; he'd never seen her like that. More importantly, she would never see him like that so what was the point? He frowned. Why was that more important? It didn't matter how Brooke saw him, because they would always JUST be friends. He looked back at Brooke's locker to see she was gone. The bell rang, and the tall raven-haired boy was on his way to class, blending in to the crowd.

No one noticed the popular brunette running into the nearest bathroom, her hazel eyes full of tears.

* * *

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I'm baaaaack! It's been SO long since I posted any chapters. This story is always in the back of my mind and the other day, after I finished all my midterms, I just felt inspired :). I'll be updating more frequently from now on, maybe every Sunday I'll try? We'll see how it goes.

* * *

Chapter 3

"Come on Brooke! I've never seen you cry. What the fuck was that about in the bathroom?" Rachel Gattina nagged at Brooke as the brunette rubbed her temples and fell on to her friend's spare bed.

"Would you please just try not talking for like, five minutes? I've had a headache all day, and your voice is making it ten times worse." Brooke pleaded, burying her face into the soft fluffy pillow.

Rachel rolled her eyes and stood beside the bed, arms cross impatiently and her foot tapping. "Oh screw your headache. I've never seen you cry before. We aren't missing practice just for you to sit here and sulk like you're pathetic. What was with the stunt in the bathroom?" Rachel demanded.

It was true, Brooke had always made sure to keep her sensitive and vulnerable side in check whenever she wasn't alone. In fact she was pretty sure that Nathan had been the only one to ever see her cry. Nathan. Nathan and Peyton. In the hall. Being so friendly. She pushed her head further into the pillow as she felt the lump rise to her throat. Brooke had no idea why this was upsetting her so much, but just seeing that blonde curly haired head playfully resting on Nathan's shoulder... well, it made her want to punch Peyton in the face. And who was Nathan to get so mad at her for talking to Lucas the month prior, and still act weird about it, and then turn around and talk to Peyton? She was the blonde whore that put him through all the drama, it wasn't Lucas's fault. Brooke felt a little smile creep on to her lips at the thought of that goofy half grin and shaggy blond hair. There was no way that innocent geeky and yet oh so hot boy would ever intentionally hurt anyone.

"I'M WAITING!"

Rachel's high pitched voice interrupted Brooke's thought process and she groaned, rolling over to stare up at her friend. Brooke would have completely got away with crying in the bathroom if anyone else had been in there, but not Rachel.

"You know I love you, but some times you get so nosey that I really wish I didn't." Brooke said as she sat up. The red head huffed and sat down beside her.

"Oh shut up. You and me, we don't do this. I've been here for you ever since all the shit went down with Peyton last year. You're even practically living here because of, you know, Mr. Davis and Bitchtoria." Rachel pointed out with a grin, clearly pleased with the name she'd created for Brooke's mom. Brooke laughed and shook her head. Her parents had never cared much for each other, or even their daughter, but lately their screaming matches had been too much and Brooke had been spending a lot of nights over at Rachel's. It was convenient that the red head had two comfy beds in her room.

"I'm not sure what brought it on to be honest. I saw Nate and Peyton-"

"Slut." Rachel interrupted.

"-talking in the hallway." Brooke continued, ignoring Rachel's not so subtle opinion. It wasn't uncommon for one of the girls to finish the other's sentence, or to just interrupt them entirely. "It just made me so... mad. They weren't fighting. It looked like how they used to last year right before they'd get back together. Pissed, but civil." Brooke scoffed. "And he got mad at me for talking to Lucas? It's not fucking fair!" Brooke ended her rant short when she noted Rachel's expression. "What?"

Rachel brushed a red strand of hair from her eyes and shook her head. "Are you sure you weren't... like... jealous?" Brooke frowned and shook her head in disbelief.

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous?"

"It just seems weird that it would make you so mad that you'd go fucking bawl your eyes out in the bathroom- "

"I wasn't BAWLING."

"- over such a small thing! You know Nathan isn't getting back with Peyton any time soon. I mean sure, he fooled around with tons of girls, but only whenever Ms. PMS had broke up with him over nothing. And who can blame him? That girl doesn't have a wild bone in her scrawny body." Rachel paused to giggle. "She probably would just lay there under him and not even moa-"

"RACHEL!" Brooke interrupted, looking horrified. "No talking of the Neyton sex life, ew." The brunette scrunched her nose up. She was far from a prude, but when it came to Nathan's sex life? She was never fussy on details. It'd always made her sort of queasy, although she could never figure out why. "But no, I was not jealous. I just hate cocky hypocritical assholes." She said with a shrug and one of her best fake bright smiles. "Besides, things with Lucas... I think if the Ravens win the game tomorrow night, they might happen at the after party."

Rachel screwed up her face in visible disgust. "I don't see what you see in that nerd. He seems so... BLAH, dull. And if it takes this long just to get one little date, then what's the point?"

"We've had dates! We're taking it slow. I don't know it's..." Brooke paused and smiled to herself. "It's sweet. It's something new."

Rachel shook her head and got up from the bed, heading towards the door. "Whatever you say, but I get a bad vibe. His whole innocent I-love-my-mommy act is bull. I'm getting a beer, want one?" she asked and started to head downstairs without bothering to wait for an answer.

Brooke shook her head. Obviously Rachel couldn't see Lucas properly. What could that blonde boy every do wrong? Getting up with a very unfamiliar dreamy feeling in her stomach, Brooke followed her friend downstairs

* * *

Nathan walked through his front door, basketball balanced under his arm and his backpack slung over his shoulder. He dropped his stuff and rolled his head around, stretching out his neck. Tomorrow was going to be one of the bigger games of the season. The Pirates weren't actually awful, but Nathan was still confident he could single handedly beat them. Unfortunately, Whitey was all about teamwork and didn't see that really, the whole team was Nathan Scott. If anyone would be keeping their perfect record that year, it would be him.

"IT'S JUST A DAMN SPORT DAN, MISSING ONE GAME WON'T KILL YOU!" Nathan cringed at the sound of his mother, Deb, screaming at his father. Dan Scott was the mayor of the town and the owner of a successful car dealership, so the family should have been grateful to him for living their comfortable wealthy lives. But Nathan hated his father, with everything in him. Ever since he could remember, Dan had been pushing him.

"It's not just a sport Deb! It's his entire future, something important! What else has the kid got going for him?" Dan yelled back, causing Nathan to cringe again, this time not out of annoyance but pain. He could tell the screams were coming from the living room, which meant in order to sneak upstairs, he'd have to creep through the door opening. Taking a breath, Nathan began to walk as quietly as he could towards the stairs.

And then the floor creaked.

Nathan stared back at the two pairs of eyes. His mothers seemed to melt from anger to apologetic instantly, but Dan's eyes stayed the same. Cold. Empty.

"Hey son. How was practice? Whitey working you hard?" Dan asked.

"Uh, yeah." Nathan replied, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Well hopefully not too hard. Can't have the captain too tired before the game tomorrow. Can't wait to see it."

Deb shook her head. "Actually, your father and I won't be here for the weekend, Nathan. We got a call from your grandma, and Royal has to have a hip replacement surgery. So your father has to leave town for the weekend to be there for his father, right Dan?" Nathan raised his eyebrows. There didn't seem to be anything that would keep Dan from watching a game, not even his own father getting sick. How fucked was that?

Dan groaned. "Alright. But I'll be listening to it on the radio so don't let Whitey push you around. You need as much playing time and baskets as you can get. That old man shouldn't punish you for what I did." Nathan just nodded. Of course it was all about Dan, everything was.

Giving his parents a wave of his hand, Nathan quickly ran up the stairs. It only took about five seconds before the two of them started yelling at each other again. Nathan paused in the hallway to pull out his phone. Checking his texts, he was disappointed to see that none were from Brooke. He hadn't heard from her all day, and she and Rachel weren't at cheerleading practice. And if anyone would have understood how to get cheered up after hearing a parental screaming match, it would have been Brooke. The two of them were so similar in that aspect of their lives.

Walking in to his room, Nathan closed the door and glanced up to see a figure laying on his bed with his laptop.

"They've been going at it for about an hour." Brooke mumbled, clearly busy reading something online.

Nathan walked over and sat down on the bed beside her and stared down at her. He was trying to read her. He could immediately pick up on the fact that something was wrong. She looked so... sad. He just couldn't figure out why because he hadn't spoken to her all day. "What's going on Davis?" He asked.

Brooke sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I blew off last period and practice today to chill with Rachel, then I went home and my parents were screaming. So I came here." Brooke said softly. "Somehow your parents yelling don't bother me as much, because at least one of your parents cares about you." She looked up at her best friend and smiled a little. "Think I could sleep over here tonight?"

Nathan smiled and shook his head. "You know you don't even have to ask." He pointed out. It wasn't that odd for Brooke to stay over at his place. She got along well with Deb, and he knew that under her strong independent exterior, she just got lonely sometimes. Besides, how could he say no when those shining hazel eyes stared up at him?

No. Don't go there Nathan, he thought.

Brooke sent the laptop on the bedside table and leaped up giddily on to Nathan, wrapping her arms tight around him to give him a hug. He smelled the beer on her breath and he grinned, rolling his eyes a little. That explained the brief open display of vulnerability

Brooke squeezed him tighter. "Mmm, you're the best Natey." Nathan groaned and pushed her off.

"Don't call me that."

"Why? It's kinda cute. Naaatey. Nateyyyy." Brooke said, giggling her husky laugh.

"Why didn't I hear from you all day?" he blurted out. Brooke stared at him, stunned as to where that had come from. When the brunette just shrugged and he sighed. "C'mon, I'm not stupid-"

"Well some might argue that..." Brooke interrupted with a smirk

"Would you just tell me what's going on?" He finished.

Brooke sighed and sat up a little more on the bed. "I saw you talking to Peyton." She mumbled, looking down at her suddenly fascinating twiddling thumbs.

Nathan cocked up an eyebrow. "So? You know how she is, she was just being a bitch and trying to mess with my head. Did it bother you?"

Brooke shook her head. "No, don't be stupid Scott. I just don't want to see you get hurt again, you get all moody and whiney and what kind of fun is that?" She said with a smirk then whacked him with a pillow before hopping up and opening up a drawer. Pulling out a pair of his basketball shorts and a t-shirt, she scurried off to the bathroom.

Nathan shook his head before changing in to his pyjama pants and a t-shirt. When Brooke came back, he couldn't get over how cute she looked in his obviously way oversized clothes. He climbed into the bed and opened up the covers on the other side for her. Without a word, Brooke got on the foot of the bed and crawled up towards him before sliding into the covers.

Nathan found himself watching her every move, feeling almost entranced. He'd never looked at her like this before but the words Peyton had said, about him being into Brooke, floated around in his thoughts. She suddenly seemed so tempting, crawling towards him in his bed and then laying down beside him. The fact that she was wearing his clothes just seemed to make her even sexier.

"Hey Brooke?" he said into the dark room. When he got no response, he glanced over and could just make out her sleeping face. He grinned. It never took her long to fall asleep in his bed. It was nice to think that maybe here was the only place she felt comfortable enough to sleep peacefully. Usually, Nathan was the same. But tonight he found himself just watching her as she slept, thinking about everything. After a few minutes, he watched as her sleeping form moved towards him and snuggled up against his side and a small smile spread over her perfect lips. Nathan closed his eyes, ignoring the realisation that was coming over him. He just wrapped his arms around his best friend's small frame and let himself drift off to sleep with a smile on his face.

* * *

REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! :D


	5. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I am so proud that I actually posted another chapter in a week like I planned :D I had so many ideas for this chapter that I actually had to split some of the stuff off and move it to Chapter 5. So, since that chapter is already started, another will be posted again soon :) These first few chapters have really just been to introduce everyone, but in the next chapter, the real drama will begin ;) So stick with me and review review review!

* * *

Chapter Four

Brooke woke up when she felt a slight shift in the bed, but she kept her eyes shut. She heard a pair of feet walk slowly across the floor, a door shut, and the water of the shower turn on. Slowly, she opened her hazel eyes and gazed around to find herself in Nathan's room. She put her hand to her head and groaned softly to herself. Clearly she'd had one too many beers with Rachel. Swinging her feet over the side of the bed Brooke put on her jeans but decided to leave on Nathan's giant shirt. She gathered her stuff quickly and tip-toed out of Nathan's room.

This was their routine; she slept over frequently, but they never talked about what had been wrong with her in the morning. It was probably because Nathan could read her pretty well and figure out what was wrong, but this time she wasn't even really sure what was wrong with her. Ever since she'd see Nathan and Peyton talking, there had been a worrisome knot sitting in her stomach. With the addition of her parents screaming bloody murder at each other when she'd stumbled home after partying with Rachel, Brooke had found herself overwhelmed and surprisingly lonely which lead her to needing someone. Nathan was the only person in her life that knew her completely and always knew just what she needed.

Slowly descending the stairs Brooke inhaled a sharp breath when she heard someone cough in the living room that she would have to pass to get out the door. Brooke turned and walked towards the kitchen, intending to slip out the back door. She had her hand wrapped around the handle when she heard someone clear their throat. Whirling around, she found herself looking at Deb Scott.

"You spend the night and you won't even hang around for breakfast? I'm making waffles." Deb said with a smile, which eased the tension right out of Brooke before she shook her head.

"No thanks Mrs. S. I should really get going. I skipped cheerleading practice last night so I should go in early and think of a kickass routine for the game tonight to make up for that." Brooke said brightly and Deb laughed.

"You know, the amount of times you sleep here, I should just let you move in." She said with a knowing smile before walking over to where she was making the waffles. "You've been sneaking over here since you were what, 10?"

Brooke smiled sheepishly "Probably around that age, yeah." She knew that Nathan's mom was cool, but she wasn't aware that all her sneaking around hadn't been as stealth as she thought. Slowly walking over to the island, Brooke pulled out a stool and sat down. Brooke had always been closer with Deb then her own mother, but it still felt weird not sneaking out of here as quickly as she could.

Deb slid a mug of coffee over towards Brooke. "The two of you have been inseparable since your family moved in down the street when you were young. I think you're the only one that I see Nate act like himself around. Basketball seems to make him... different. His father works him so hard over that stupid game." Deb spoke with bitter tone before shaking her head a little. "But this isn't about Dan. Do you want to talk about whatever brought you over?"

Brooke shook her head. "No, no I'm okay. I was just locked out." She said with a shrug before taking a long gulp of her coffee.

Deb nodded, getting the hint that Brooke wouldn't be opening up. She had known the bubbly brunette since she was very little, so she knew her well. "Okay, but you know if you ever need to talk, I'm here. I like to think that I've known you long enough to think of you as my unofficial daughter." Deb smiled. "And one day you really will be, when you and Nate get married."

Brooke started coughing on her coffee and stared at Deb in shock. "What?"

Deb shook her head. "Never mind Brooke, it was just a joke." She said. But Brooke knew Deb was lying. It wasn't the first time that Deb had made jokes that the two best friends were going to end up married. Getting up quickly, Brooke grabbed her stuff.

"Well, thanks for the coffee Mrs. S, tell Nathan I said thanks." She smiled and practically ran out the back door. Right after the door shut, Nathan walked into the kitchen. Deb glanced up at her son, and the first thing she noticed was the small smile that seem plastered on his face.

* * *

Lucas Scott missed his typical outfit. Jeans, blue t-shirt and his Keith Scott grey sweater. He ran a hand through his drying hair as he stared at himself wearing a suit in the mirror. This was the part of being on the Ravens that he was struggling to get used to. Game day meant the players wore suits and the cheerleaders wore their uniforms, the latter being something he was definitely okay with. But the suit... it almost felt unnatural on him.

Grabbing his backpack, Lucas walked out the front door to be greeted by a light blue bug convertible sitting in his driveway. He smiled at her as she waved at him. He and Brooke had been hanging out pretty frequently; Other than the rides to school each morning, the pair had been eating lunch together, and just talking together after basketball and cheerleading practice. It had been over a month and Lucas found himself really caring for the brunette. She showed him sides of herself that not most people saw. She wasn't the brainless shallow cheerleader that she seemed to be on the surface.

Sliding into the passenger seat, he was immediately greeted by the dazzling dimpled smile that he had come to look forward to seeing. "Morning broody!" She said with a cheery tone. Brooke reversed out of his driveway after he'd buckled up.

"Morning to you too, cheery." He said with a grin as he looked over at her side profile. Everything about Brooke Davis was beautiful. Her dimples, her shiny brown hair, her bright hazel eyes. Her heart and her true spirit, both of which he had only seen in fleeting brief moments. Each time he did though, he became more and more amazed with the young woman sitting beside her. "Didn't see you in the gym yesterday, your squad seemed completely lost without their captain."

Brooke could tell that this was Lucas's way of asking if anything was wrong, but if she hadn't felt like talking about it with Deb, she certainly wasn't going to bear her soul to Lucas, although she couldn't deny she was tempted. She hadn't felt like she could trust someone like this ever, except for Nathan. She was surprised that she'd managed to get home, change into cheerleader mode and still be on time to pick up Lucas. All she could think about now was that damn, the boy certainly could pull off a suit.

She shrugged. "I wasn't feeling that good, so Rachel and I ditched to watch old episodes of Full House." She said with a grin at him as she pulled up to a red light then turned to him, placing her hand gently on his knee. "Have I told you how good you look on game days?" She said with a grin.

Lucas felt a light blush light up on his cheeks, which Brooke found absolutely adorable. "Uhm, yeah you've mentioned it a couple times." He glanced down at the hand, and then let his eyes wander to her thighs before jumping back up to her eyes. "You're looking beautiful as always Brooke."

Brooke smiled and pulled away as the light turned green. "Such a charmer, broody." She said with a grin, trying to play off how happy she was to hear him compliment her. It was harder to keep up her confident charade up around Lucas, and she liked it.

Brooke pulled into the school's parking lot and chose a spot far from the school. Turning towards Lucas, she grinned at him and leaned across to his side slowly, hovering just in front of Lucas's stunned face. "Good luck with the game broody. I bet you score tonight." She winked before landing a quick kiss on his cheek then leaping out of the car. Lucas got out to follow her and clarify what she meant, but she was already strutting off towards her squad. He looked after her longingly and didn't notice the shorter girl with copper coloured hair coming up beside him.

"Hey doofus, I can practically hear your pervy thoughts from across the parking lot."

Lucas whirled around and found himself face to face with Haley James, his best friend since they were about 7 years old. He laughed and looked down at her. "They weren't pervy."

Haley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever you say. I found some sticky magazines at your mom's cafe, perv." She said with her usual sarcastic tone. Haley and sarcasm seemed to walk hand in hand. The pair started walking towards their first period together. "What's going on there anyways? Are you two like, dating. Because the idea of you and Brooke..." Haley trailed off and started laughing, which caused Lucas to frown. Haley saw his face and shrugged. "I'm sorry! But I still can't believe you and Peyton hooked up last year. But at least you two had SOMETHING in common. You know, brooding, pouting and depressing music." She said with a smirk.

Lucas laughed. "Haley, I love you, but you don't know Brooke like I do." The short girl shrugged in response.

"Or maybe you don't know Brooke like you do. Maybe you're not seeing her with your eyes but... another part of your anatomy." Haley could see Lucas about to protest and she raised her hands. "Okay okay, I'm sorry! I guess I'm just a little jealous. It used to be you and me against the world, but since you joined the team last year it's like I've slowly been becoming less important in your life." She said staring up at her best friend. Haley was always completely honest with everyone, because she believed the best in everyone. Her tendency to be naive was one of Lucas's favourite things about his best friend. There were so few things that were innocent in the world these days.

Lucas stopped and put his hands on Haley's shoulders. "Hey, I'm sorry if I've been absent. I promise, I'll make more of an effort from now on. Tell me about your life, what's new?"

Haley laughed. "Actually, nothing. Quinn came home to visit last weekend and brought home her new boyfriend, David. They seem happy together. Grades are good and I took over running the tutoring center since Nancy got arrested for possession of about fifty tons of marijuana." Haley continued to babble on about her life, and Lucas found himself drifting out of the conversation when Brooke skipped by with her arm entwined with Rachel Gattina's. She threw him a wink while biting her bottom lip and he found himself fighting the urge to groan.

Haley caught her friend's facial expression and smacked the back of his head. "Come on you horny dork, we're going to be late for english." She grinned.

Truthfully, it was nice to see Lucas interested in someone who was actually single. But when she saw Brooke wave to Nathan as she passed him at his locker, she got a bad feeling in her gut that made her know she was going to be protective of her best friend around the brunette vixen.

* * *

Nathan had to use almost all of his will to keep his eyes from following Brooke as she walked by and he returned her greeting. It took so much concentration that he completed spaced out on what the ever dim Tim was talking about. This was ridiculous. He could get over this. He wasn't going to go down this road. He wouldn't even acknowledge what he was feeling in his head. He wasn't a fucking pussy, he'd just ignore it.

As he was keeping his stare focused straight ahead, he noticed that Lucas was walking through the halls with a shorter girl. He had noticed Lucas hanging out with her pretty frequently over the last year, but obviously the two weren't dating. And she was definitely not popular since he wasn't even sure he'd ever seen her before. She definitely wasn't unattractive. In fact she was really cute. But her innocence practically radiated off of her graphic t-shirt that said 'Love' and had images of an animated macaroni noodle and a brick of cheese, something that a seventh grader would have worn to be cool. He eyed her thoughtfully as she followed Lucas into a classroom.

"Nate man, are you even listening to me?" Tim asked, interrupting Nathan's thought process.

"No, I wasn't. But listen man, my parents are going out of town this weekend. Grandpa's sick. So after the game tonight, I'm inviting the team over."

Tim smiled with so much visible excitement that Nathan chuckled. Sometimes he wondered if there was anything between his unofficial sidekick's ears. "AWESOME! This will be great man. Just the usual crowd?"

Nate smirked and eyed the classroom that Lucas and Haley had wandered in to. His mind was whirling with a plan. He needed to show Brooke that Lucas wasn't ever going to fit into their world to prevent their dating, but still look like he was putting in an effort to like Lucas for their friendship's sake. "Oh, I think we should definitely extend the party invitation to a lot more than the usual crowd."

* * *

Nathan was feeling like a god as he walked into the locker room, while the rest of the team was whooping and jumping around with excitement. It had been a close game, but he had managed to sink a three-pointer right before the final buzzer, causing the Ravens to remain undefeated by one point. There was no denying tonight that Nathan Scott was feeling like a stud.

He nodded at a few of the guys as they gave him a clap on the back and said they'd see him at the party in a couple hours. Glancing down the bay of lockers, he noticed Lucas putting the last of his stuff into his backpack and slinging it over his back. Striding over to him, Nathan stood behind him. "Hey." He stated gruffly. Not the nicest of tones, but whatever.

Lucas turned and looked at Nathan with confusion. "Uh, hi. That was a nice shot at the end."

Nathan snorted at him. "Yeah, I'm aware. So I'm throwing a party for the team at my place tonight. You should come. You can bring that little friend of yours too if you want."

Lucas frowned. "Haley?"

"Yeah, if that's her name. Whatever you want." Nathan shrugged nonchalantly only to be met with Lucas's suspicious gaze. "Look man, it's going to be another long season and we can't afford to be fighting. This is both of our last shot for a state championship. Plus, with you getting involved with Brooke... well basically she'll kill me if I don't start putting in more of an effort to be friendly to you. Last year is in the past, let's start fresh." He finished, extending his hand out to the blonde boy, who shook it. "Cool. Hope to see you there."

As Nathan left the locker room wearing a grin, Lucas stood where he was stunned. Had Nathan Scott actually just extended a friendly invitation to a party? No, it couldn't be that simple. Lucas had caused the guy's girlfriend to cheat on him last year, he had to hate his guts. Lucas couldn't shake the nagging feeling that there was some sort of ulterior motive to Nathan's sudden change of heart. As he was lost in his thoughts, he noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning, Lucas found himself looking at Jake Jagielski.

"Did I overhear the possible end of the third world war?" Jake asked with a grin. Lucas chuckled. From the beginning, Jake had been the only one on the team to be nice to him. Not that he had chose Luke's side; Jake was good at minding his own business.

Lucas shook his head. "Honestly, I have no idea. He sounded sincere when he invited me but still... it seems to out of the blue."

Jake chuckled. "Yeah, Nathan's not one to willingly turn over a new leaf. Then again I've been seeing you hang around with Brooke more often, and everyone knows that she has a strong influence on how he acts." When Lucas just looked at him confused, Jake grinned. "I wouldn't be surprised if she threatened him if he didn't start being nice to you."

Lucas laughed and nodded. "So you think I should go?"

"Yeah, accept the peace offering. I'm going, so you'll have at least one person to talk to." Jake gave him an encouraging smile.

Lucas nodded. He appreciated the advice. He knew he could trust Jake; he was probably one of the nicest guys in town. "I guess you're right. What's the worst that could happen?"


	6. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Say whaaat? Two chapters in one day? Yeah, I've been on a roll :) Originally I was just going to have a quick party scene in the last chapter, but I decided I wanted to make it more detailed. Also, this chapter is a longer one, but let me know if you like it better when the chapters are longer when you REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! :D

* * *

Chapter Five

Brooke finished setting up the cups as Nathan dragged the keg into place. The two had headed straight from the game to his place to put away certain valuables, like Dan's trophies, and set things up. Brooke placed her hands on her hips and looked around with satisfied smile. "Place looks great Nate. I'm just going to run upstairs and change." She stated before throwing him a wink and running up the stairs in her uniform.

Nathan let his gaze follow her bouncing form up the stairs and then groaned to himself. Since when did he get turned on just _looking_ at his best friend? For that matter, when did he even start thinking about her in this way? This was getting fucking ridiculous. He sat down on the coach to watch some sports highlights. As he did, he decided that tonight he would get drunk, hook up with one of his groupies and forget any thought of Brooke Davis.

Just as this thought passed through his mind, the petite brunette fell into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. She'd manage to change into a skirt and pink shirt quickly. He fought the urge to lean into her neck and kiss it, but it was hard. She smelled so delicious, he just wanted to have one little taste.

Brooke giggled and poked his nose. "Did I startle you Scott? You've got a weird look on your face."

Nathan grinned up at her and shook his head. "Nah, I was just hoping a beautiful girl had fallen into my lap. But sadly it's just you." When she faked an insulted gasp, Nathan tickled her sides eliciting a squeal from Brooke and she slid off his lap to sit beside him, her long bare legs still draped across his lap. He let his hand rest comfortably on one and leaned back against the couch. Everything was always so easy with Brooke.

Brooke frowned up at his expression and nudged him a little with her leg. "What're you thinking about Natey?" She asked curiously. "You look so deep in thought, I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Nathan laughed and shook his head. "I was just thinking about how I almost wish I wasn't throwing this party so you and I could just chill like this."

Brooke nodded and laid back on the couch. "I know. I had to have an emergency practice right after school since I missed it yesterday and we had to create a new routine and perfect it in just a few hours. I'm exhausted."

"I could call Tim and tell him it's off. Say I'm sick or something." Nathan offered, raising an eyebrow.

Brooke shook her head. "No way, tonight's going to be great." She sat up and grabbed the phone sitting on the coffee table in front of them. "Do you mind if I call Lucas? I didn't have a chance to invite him before we left."

Nathan shook his head, hiding his disappointment. "Not necessary. I invited him when I left the locker room."

"What?"

"It's not a big deal. I don't see what you see in the guy but I can make the effort for you Davis." He said with a shrug. Brooke launched herself at Nathan and hugged him tight.

"That means so much Nate. I know you don't like him but I think you two could be friends."

Nathan snorted. "I can be civil, but don't push it Brooke."

She laughed and removed herself from him, snuggling back into the back of the couch. He looked over at her. He saw how happy she was and smiled sadly. He started to feel guilty for what he was hoping would happen tonight. He hoped that Brooke would finally see that Lucas couldn't fit into their world. It wasn't like him to hope for something that would lead to Brooke being unhappy, but he couldn't get over the jealousy that overwhelmed him when he thought of Lucas being with her.

"Hey Brooke?"

"Hm?"

"Have you ever thought about if you and me-" Nathan began. But he was cut off by the doorbell ringing and Brooke leaped off the couch to the front door. He stayed on the couch but still heard Bevin and Brooke giggling excitedly and Tim say something lame about raising the roof. More and more people started to arrive after that and soon, the party was in full swing.

* * *

Lucas took a deep breath as Haley pulled the car over to the side of the road in front of Nathan's house. Haley glanced over at him and smiled. "Ready to enter the lion's den?"

"Honestly if it wasn't for the whole high road thing, I wouldn't be here at all." Lucas grinned over at her before feeling a clap on his shoulder. He looked back at Jake who had decided to go with him for support.

"C'mon Luke, it won't be that bad. Besides, when was the last time any of us got out and had fun?" He pointed out before climbing out of the car. Lucas noticed Haley watching him climb out and nudged her side. She started and looked at him then laughed.

"What? I'm trying to decide if I like him being around. It's not every day that you invite someone to join our popular crowd." She said with a cheeky grin.

The threesome walked up to the house slowly and stood in front of the door. Music was booming from the house and through the window, Lucas could see that the house was pretty full, but not too crowded because the house was huge. Haley looked at both of the tall boys beside her and huffed.

"Well come on then, cowards." She said before throwing the front door open without bothering to knock. Lucas and Jake both chuckled before walking in to the house after her. The group glanced around. It was the typical crowd for a post-basketball game party. Cheerleaders, jocks, and the people that were lucky enough to be considered their friends.

Haley sighed. "Well. Looks like we're the outcasts tonight." She observed and linked her arm with Lucas, who looked both nauseated and nervous. She poked his side. "Hey, relax. Soon your little Tigger girlfriend will bounce on over here and make you feel oh so welcome."

As if on cue, Brooke walked into the front hallway from the living room and immediately spotted Lucas. Her stomach did a nervous flip flop at the sight of him, something she hadn't let herself feel for a guy... well, probably ever. She ran right over to him and threw her arms around him.

"Mmmm, welcome to the party Broody." She purred in his ear with her husky voice. His whole body seemed to tighten with her pressed up against it. She pulled back and gave him a deeply dimpled smile, before she detached herself from him and smiled over at Haley. "And you must be Haley? Luke talks about you all the time, it's so great to meet you." She said before giving Haley a friendly hug.

The hug surprised the shorter girl. "Nice to meet you too." Haley gave Lucas an approving smile over Brooke's shoulder. She suddenly felt bad for ever judging Brooke and assuming she would just be an 'I'm-too-good-for-you" shallow bitch.

Brooke released Haley with a smile and turned to Jake. "Nice defense tonight Jagielski! Nate would never admit it but without you the games would be so much closer." She said with a bright smile. Jake laughed and nodded.

"Thanks Davis. Where is Nathan anyways?"

Brooke waved her hand. "He's probably doing shots out of Bevin's belly button or playing beer pong. Who knows, he's always been an awful host." She smiled at all of them. "There's beer and other drinks in the kitchen." She noted the car keys in Haley's hand. "Except you Tutorgirl. Have fun guys!" She said and turned to leave, but then stopped and leaned up and gave Lucas a kiss on the cheek. "Come play with me Luke." She said before slipping her hand into his and pulling him towards the kitchen, leaving Jake and Haley standing awkwardly by the door.

* * *

"CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG CHUG!" The guys surrounding Nathan chanted as he chugged back a beer, then let it slam down on the counter. He laughed as Tim clapped him on the back. When he looked up he spotted Brooke and Lucas standing by the window close together, his hand draped over her hip. He cleared his throat. He had hoped that Lucas had spent the whole time awkwardly in the corner, but so far the guy had blended right into the group with a beer in his hand. He was going to have to actually do something.

"What the HELL do you think you're doing here, slut?"

Rachel Gattina's slurred high-pitched voice cut through Nathan's thoughts. He whirled around, along with everyone else in the kitchen, to see Rachel right up in Peyton Sawyer's face.

"I'm enjoying the party. What are you doing, besides drinking your former body weight in alcohol?" The curly blonde said with a calm but bitter tone and a smile. She was of course referring to the fact that a year ago, Rachel had been a lot heavier. Rachel was always one to have a short temper, especially when she'd been drinking. She lost it and shoved Peyton.

"Screw you!" She shouted before launching herself towards Peyton again. Before she reached the blonde, Lucas had managed to cross the kitchen and blocked Rachel's path for Peyton. The redhead collided right in to Lucas and glared up at him.

Brooke walked up behind Rachel and put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Come on feisty, let's get you upstairs with some water." Brooke said calmly. Rachel ignored her and shook her hand off her shoulder.

"Well look at this, Lucas Scott is defending his girlfriend. Don't you remember Brooke? He's the reason your group of friends shattered. He let Peyton cheat. Who does that?" She yelled and looked at Lucas with absolute disgust. "What kind of scumbag hooks up with another guy's girlfriend? He's just going to screw you over too."

Brooke looked over at Lucas and frowned, remembering all the anger she'd felt towards him last year when he'd caused her best friend sadness. She glared at him and pulled Rachel away.

"C'mon Rach. Upstairs. Now." She said sharply. Lucas went to follow and she shot him another glare. He'd never seen anything but warmth and beauty in her hazel eyes, but now it was as if they had turned to ice. "I've got this Lucas. You've done enough."

As Nathan watched Brooke leave the kitchen and then glanced at Lucas's disappointed face, he realized he might not have to do anything after all. Grinning, he opened up another bottle of beer and lifted it to his mouth.

* * *

Once Brooke got Rachel to drink a glass of water and to pass out in one of Nathan's spare rooms, she went back down the stairs. She was happy to see that in the half hour that she had been upstairs, the party had got back into full swing. It had probably only taken a few minutes. She went back into the kitchen and saw that there was a game of I Never going on.

Taking a seat beside Nathan, she grabbed a cup and smiled over at him. "You okay?" She asked him quietly while Vegas claimed to have never had sex with a vegetable, and Teresa took a sip.

Nathan nodded. "Yeah, it's whatever. I'm long over all of that."

"Good." Brooke said with a smile and saw Lucas walk by. "Lucas! Come play." She called over to him. If Nathan was over what he and Peyton had done, then she would be too. Besides, knowing Peyton, she'd manipulated poor innocent Lucas into... She cringed. She didn't like thinking of Peyton and Lucas together. It made her feel like throwing up she was so jealous. It was sort of like when Rachel had brought up Nathan and Peyton's sex life. But no, that hadn't made Brooke jealous. That didn't make sense.

Nathan gave Lucas a death glare as he walked over hesitantly. Apparently the reminder of what a jackass Lucas could be hadn't made Brooke realize he was all wrong for her. His mind whirled with ways that he could hurt his half brother that was sitting across from him.

The game went on for a few minutes before it came back around to Nathan's turn. He looked at Lucas and, feeling drunk and pissed, he spoke.

"I've never had a dad who wished I was a stain on the bed sheet." He said bitterly and looked down at Lucas's cup.

Brooke glared over at Nathan, feeling too stunned to even do anything. She looked over at Lucas who was standing up and walking away. The rest of the group that had been around the table awkwardly dispersed, leaving Nathan and Brooke alone at the table. She smacked his arm. "What the fuck was that?" She asked him angrily. "I thought you were over it!"

"I am. Doesn't mean I want that jackass in my life, or yours. He's going to hurt you Brooke. I won't let anyone hurt you." He said, leaning in towards her. Brooke slapped him across the face.

"Asshole." She hissed at him before standing up. She went off to try and find Lucas, leaving Nathan all alone.

* * *

Peyton sighed as she walked out into the backyard with a cup full of beer to find herself looking at a very broody Lucas Scott. She cleared her throat and when he looked at her, she gave him a half smile.

"Hey." She said quietly. Lucas nodded at her and then looked away. His night so far was really shitty, so Peyton Sawyer was potentially the very last person he wanted to see.

No one wanted to see the person that broke their heart.

Peyton walked over and stood beside him. "Some party huh?" When the dirty blonde haired boy beside her was still silent, she sighed. "It's not like either of them are saints. Brooke or Nathan. But because they're the king and queen of the hive and we hurt one of them, we're social lepers."

Lucas snorted one soft laugh and nodded. "Yeah. Nathan isn't even a good guy. From what you told me when we were... you know, he treated you like crap."

Peyton looked over at him. "She's never going to put you before him, you know. Brooke and Nathan, they've always been a dynamic duo. Even when they allowed me to be a part of their world, they always put each other first. Nathan never put me before Brooke, it's how I knew that he loved her and not me." She said quietly, putting her hand over Lucas's.

Lucas looked down at their hands. He suddenly remembered it all. He remembered feeling like he was in love with her since he first saw her tangled mess of a blonde head walking through the middle school in seventh grade. He remembered wanting to save her. And then he remembered how quickly she'd dropped him after Nathan had found out that she had been cheating on him.

He pulled away and shook his head. "You're wrong. Brooke's not that selfish. _She_ actually cares about me." He said and walked away from her. But no matter how quickly he walked away from her, he could already feel the doubt settling in on him.

Peyton stood there and watched Lucas walk away before looking out to the backyard with a satisfied grin.

"What's got you so happy?"

She turned and found herself looking at a very drunk, and angry, Nathan Scott. She actually felt bad when she looked at him. A part of her had always known that Nathan was in love with his best friend, and from what she'd been observing lately, he was slowly realizing it. The brief longing glances were a clear giveaway. She shrugged.

"What's got you so miserable?" She asked him before sitting down on one of the two chairs. Nathan walked over and sat down beside her.

"What did you see in Lucas?" He asked her, avoiding her question just like she had avoided his. Peyton shrugged.

"He was kind, and he listened to me. Plus I knew he was the one person I could hook up with that would piss you off the most, that was the big thing." She grinned at him and, to her surprise, saw Nathan chuckling.

"Wow, nice Peyt. You know you weren't always such a manipulative bitch, sometimes I wonder what happened to you."

"And you weren't always such an ass. Life happened. We've both just been in bad places. Not everyone is perfect all the time."

"Brooke is... at least to me." He slurred, leaning back and closing his eyes briefly.

"Yeah, I figured." Peyton said bitterly. "I miss her. You and Brooke were the only ones who stood by me when I got in these bitchy moods of mine. Well, more so Brooke than you. I guess I've always been jealous of her. She and I are so different that she has so many qualities that I wish I had." Peyton felt her eyes welling up with tears. "I make one mistake, and it's like I have no one in my life anymore. I have nothing but these horrible dark thoughts in my mind Nate. I don't even mean to be such a horrible person, I just do these horrible things and hate myself for them immediately, which leads to more dark thoughts. It's like if I can't be happy, then no one else can. And because of it, I have no one to talk to." She let the tears slip down her cheeks.

From behind her blurry eyes, she noticed a certain brunette watching them from the kitchen. And suddenly, despite her momentarily sincere moment, Peyton saw an opportunity. Leaning in to Nathan, she wrapped her arms around Nathan and fought a grin when she felt him hug her back. When she looked back at the window, the brunette was gone.

* * *

Brooke felt like her stomach was going to fall out of her butt. She ran to the bathroom and closed the door, before leaning back against it and taking heavy breaths. She fought against the tears that were threatening to fall down her cheeks. She was so confused! First Nathan said he was over everything that he'd try with Lucas, then he was humiliating him. Next she was seeing Peyton wrapped up in Nathan's embrace and it just didn't make any sense. For the first time in her life, she had no idea what Nathan was doing.

She heard the light knock on the door but ignored it. When she heard it again, she huffed. "Go find another bathroom, this one's busy!" She shouted through the door sharply and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Brooke? It's Lucas, are you okay?" Brooke opened her eyes at the sound of his voice. She took a step back from the door and opened it a crack slowly, peeking out at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

When Lucas saw the sadness on her face, it felt like his heart was going to snap. Seeing someone so beautiful look so sad, well it was a crime. He just wanted to take her into his arms and rock her until she felt better. Any doubts he'd had about how he felt about her or how she felt about Nathan were gone. It was all about just wanting her to feel better.

Lucas smiled gently at her. "Been a pretty intense night, huh? What's got you down, pretty girl?" He asked, throwing out a new nickname for her.

Brooke sniffed and wiped her eyes before smiling back at him. Normally she wouldn't have opened the door for anyone. She would have snapped at them and only walked out when she was sure no one would know she'd been crying. But she felt okay with Lucas, it was okay to be vulnerable with him.

He wasn't going to hurt her.

With this realization, she opened the bathroom door and stepped out, slipping her fingers into his. "Just a lot of drama. C'mon broody, let's go talk upstairs." She said before winking at him. She pulled him up the stairs slowly.

As they ascended the stairs, Lucas felt his heart hammering against his chest. She was opening up to him. Like, really opening up. And god, was she beautiful. He found himself being dragged into an empty dark bedroom. As soon as he'd closed the door, he felt her petite frame pressed lightly against his body and her lips trailing up his neck and across his jawline until finally their lips collided. He felt and heard her moan into his mouth and he immediately pulled her tight against him, letting his tongue enter and explore her mouth.

If Lucas had thought that tonight had been intense, he had clearly been wrong. This was a whole new kind of intense.

* * *

When Nathan woke up, the first thing he noticed was silence. The second thing he noticed was that he was sitting in his backyard and the sun was starting to rise. He groaned and stretched his arms above his head. He must have passed out while Peyton had been talking to him and slept through the rest of his own party.

"Guess it's time to check out the damage." He muttered to himself. The party had been a total nightmare, from what he could remember. He walked into the kitchen and noted the beer bottles everywhere. He glanced at the table and remembered the game of I Never and cringed. Brooke was going to be giving him a record long cold shoulder. He decided he should call her now and leave a long apology for her to wake up to. That would be a good start.

He noted the people that were passed out throughout his house as he headed to the stairs. After climbing them, he started to head to his bedroom to grab his cell phone before he heard it.

Brooke's giggle.

He frowned in confusion and glanced at the door from which the laugh had come from. He remembered then that she had taken Rachel upstairs early in the night. It made sense that she would have stayed here with the redhead.

Nathan opened the door, and stood in the doorway. He felt stunned, angry, disappointed and jealous all in one second.

Because there, sprawled out under his spare room bed covers, staring back at him, was Brooke.

And Lucas.


End file.
